


behind us

by kiyala



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Jaegercon Bingo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-05
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-22 12:19:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/913140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Breach is closed, Newt asks Hermann to go to Boston with him. Hermann doesn't leave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	behind us

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my "tattoos" square for [Jaegercon Bingo](http://jaegercon.tumblr.com/post/57225250646/).

He makes Hermann go to his usual tattoo parlour with him, once everything that needs immediate attention has been taken care of. Never mind that it's all the way in Boston, when Hermann should be heading to Berlin. He asks, once, and Hermann goes with him. They don't talk about it, not on the way there and not when they're sharing Newt's apartment, with Hermann taking the bed and Newt voluntarily sleeping on the fold-out couch. 

Newt's a little disappointed that he's never going to be able to study a Category V Kaiju, but he supposes that there's no point now that the Kaiju are gone. Marshall Hansen—it still feels weird calling him that—warns that they're not entirely certain that the Breach is closed for good. There's work to return to, they need to make sure that all loose ends are tied up so that their information is in some kind of order in case they ever need to go through it again. Newt is glad for that, glad that it's not completely over, not yet. He doesn't know how to get back to his life before K-Day. He doesn't know how he's expected to deal with any of what happened to him, least of all how he's meant to deal with Hermann.

It's a small comfort, but at least Hermann looks equally unsure. 

For now, Newt thinks of it like a little holiday. No pressing deadlines, no looming apocalypse. He thinks, for all of thirty minutes after getting back to his apartment, that it's going to be nice.

It's not. He's no longer used to doing _nothing_ and Hermann is the same. Hermann finds his collection of biology textbooks and starts reading through them, starts scientific debates that Newt loves because when they're yelling at each other about how they're wrong, it feels like they're back in their lab, like nothing has changed.

Newt sits at his desk, pulls out his sketchbook and markers, and gets to work. He's watched the video recordings from Gipsy and Striker enough times that he has a good idea of what Slattern looks like. He starts drawing, embellishing as he colours to make it look brighter and more eye-catching.

"What are you doing?" Hermann asks, looking over his shoulder. He snorts quietly when he sees, but leaves Newt to his work with nothing more than a gentle squeeze to his shoulder.

Newt books an appointment with his tattooist the next day. 

Hermann goes with him, sitting there with a book in his hand as Newt lies on his stomach. It takes hours; Newt doesn't need a break once he's in the zone and he's content to lie there while the monster is inked onto his back. For most of the time, Hermann reads but Newt will sneak a look at him on occasion to find him watching. There's a curious expression on his face, like he's unsure of whether he likes what he sees, but he's still fascinated by it. It's definitely not the look of outright disapproval that Newt is used to getting. 

They're different with each other now, and Newt knows that it's because of the fact that they've Drifted with each other. While they continue to treat each other similar to the way they did before, there's an underlying sense of understanding that softens it. There's enough proof of it here, miles away from where Hermann _should_ be, both of them happy to sit in silence, in each other's company.

It's getting dark by the time the tattoo is done. Hermann walks Newt home and mutters something about how he should take the bed this time because it will probably be more comfortable. Newt lies on his stomach and dozes, listening to Hermann rifle through his fridge and complain about all the microwave meals they've stocked it with in the week that they've been here. He declares that he's going out shopping, so that he can buy some proper ingredients for a _proper_ meal. Newt falls asleep, because it's better than dealing with the fact that the adrenaline is wearing off and his back hurts.

When he wakes up again, Hermann is cooking and when Newt wanders into the living room, he finds that the fold-out couch has been set up and the TV is playing the menu selection of one of his favourite monster movies on mute.

"Did you do this?" Newt asks, with surprise.

"No, a Kaiju snuck in and thought it would be a good idea. Of course I did." Hermann steps away from the stove for a moment to fuss over Newt, making sure he's lying down comfortably, and that there are enough pillows to prop him up to see the screen without hurting his neck. "I just. I thought it might be of some comfort—"

"Hermann." Newt grabs him by the hand and squeezes gently. "I appreciate it."

With a stiff nod, Hermann returns to the kitchen. 

Hermann takes care of Newt while the tattoo heals, which is unnecessary but pleasant all the same. He rubs cream onto Newt's back and makes sure he doesn't touch it. About four days after he gets the tattoo, Newt suggests that Hermann just take the other side of the bed. It's big enough for both of them and it's warm enough that Newt isn't going to steal the sheets. Hermann lies on his back while Newt lies on his front and all the differences that used to make them bicker now begin to feel complimentary.

"I get the impression," Hermann speaks up one night, when they're in bed but yet to fall asleep, "that you'd been planning this tattoo."

"You'd be right." Newt's head is already turned in Hermann's direction and they watch each other. "I told myself that my back was reserved for the last Kaiju to come out of the Breach. If I survived long enough which, lucky for me, I did. Get it? Because it's all behind us now, so it's on my _back_ and—"

"That is truly horrible," Hermann mutters, but his words are accompanied by his fingers stroking through Newt's hair, and that's kind of nice. 

"Kind of glad I saved my whole back for it, he's so huge."

"It's a good thing we managed to shut the Breach before any more Category V's came through," Hermann says quietly. "I don't think any of us would have survived otherwise."

They don't often talk about the Kaiju War, partly because they don't know what to say, and partly because they've come to know each other so well that there's no real need for words. Newt sighs quietly and Hermann continues to stroke his hair. When they wake up in the morning, Newt's still on his stomach but Hermann's on his side, curled up against Newt, one hand resting on his shoulder.

Newt's tattoo heals nicely, and it looks great when he checks it out in the mirror. He's drawn every one of his tattoo designs but this one is the best one yet. Hermann's still there, and he makes no mention of leaving. Newt doesn't either. He's grown much too used to having Hermann around, and he doesn't really want to lose that.

Two months after the Breach is closed, Marshall Hansen calls Newt to ask if he's ready to come back and finish off the work that needs to be done. He mentions that he can't get a hold of Hermann.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Newt tells him, making eye contact with Hermann. The phone is on loud speaker, but Hermann hasn't made a sound. "Pretty sure I can find Hermann for you, too."

"Much obliged," Herc replies, his voice still filled with grief. "See you when you get here."

"Ready to go back?" Newt asks and the answer feels obvious, but he feels like a lot has changed since the last time he was in that lab. Once you took away the sense of urgency and impending doom, the atmosphere in the lab really came down to the relationship between the two of them. It had changed when they'd Drifted together and in the past eight weeks, it's changed even more. They're not the same people they once were, with the line down the middle of the room, music deliberately being played a little too loud, judgemental looks being thrown across the room. Newt doesn't know what it's going to feel like when they step back in there. Part of him is afraid that they're going to regress to how things were before, negating all the change between them since. 

"Are you?" Hermann asks, because they've learned each other now. They can tell what the other's thinking, what the other's feeling, and Newt doesn't think it's because of the Drift any more. 

"Yeah, of course," Newt replies with false bravado that he knows Hermann can see right through in an instant. 

"It's going to be fine." Hermann steps close enough to touch Newt, but keeps his hands by his sides. "I'll be there with you."

Ten weeks ago, the thought of that would have made Newt groan, like it was the worst thing in the entire world. Now, he reaches out, wrapping his fingers around Hermann's and pulls him into a proper hug. 

"Yeah. You're right." 

They stand there for a long moment in each other's arms. Hermann's hand is warm and gentle on Newt's newly-healed back. It feels like it belongs there. Maybe it does.


End file.
